Aftermath
by hyper-swain
Summary: The final battle, Harry finaly fullfils the prophesy. But he sees no reason to continue to live, will Ron Hermione and Ginny be able to change his mind? hg rhr
1. The Final Battle

CH 1

The Final Battle

Harry and Voldemort stared each other down, the fighting around them stilling, death eaters and warriors for the light alike waiting to see what would come of this confrontation.

"This is where it ends Potter! This is where you die!"

"You're right about one thing, Tommy-boy, this is where it ends."

Both the boy-who-lived and he-who-must-not-be-named looked at their wands and then back at their opponent.

"I remember what happened last time we tried to duel," Voldemort hissed, "I'm ready for it this time. Are you?"

"More than ready, Moldymort."

Voldemort hissed in anger at once again being called by a derogatory name and then raised his wand. He yelled the killing curse while Harry whipped out a stunning curse. The two spells raced towards each other, and then collided in mid-air.

Just like back in forth year the spells connected into a golden beam connecting the two wands. The golden web appeared and surrounded them once more. As the bubbles appeared and started their back and forth dance it dawned on Harry, 'this is what Dumbledore meant when he said love is the power that Voldemort knows not!' with this realization Harry looked at the bubbles which had drawn dangerously close to his own wand from his moment of inattention.

He knew what to do.

Harry grabbed onto his wand with both hands and started to will the bubbles back along the beam, focusing on the people he loved, and who loved him. The Weasleys who were his surrogate family, Dumbledore who was like a grandfather to him, the bubbles were retreating, his parents and godfather who died to protect him, Remus his surrogate godfather, Ron and Hermione his best friends. And Ginny, his soul mate. 'Where did that thought come from?'

The bubbles had been hovering around the middle but once Ginny came to his mind the bubbles raced to and contacted with Voldemort's wand. And just like three years ago there was screaming, phoenix song, and then Voldemort's wand started regurgitating spirits again.

There was no way anyone was looking away now! Everyone was looking on in shock and horror at what was happening. The deatheaters thinking 'not again', the order members including Harry's friends concerned for their champion and savior.

This time Harry was prepared when Cedric came out, but Mr. Diggory was not. "Cedric!" he screamed as he reached toward the dome.

"Don't interfere dad! Tell mum I love her." Cedric responded

"I miss you son."

"I miss you too dad. I gotta go; I need to help Harry destroy the dark wanker!" Cedric smirked then joined the other shadows of Voldemort's victims that were once again circling the two.

Everyone gasped as they came out. Lily walked to her son and told her how proud she was. When James came out he joined her and said, "You know what to do son, so do it!"

"Yes dad."

Harry braced himself as the shadow people circled the wand kept vibrating harder and harder until Harry couldn't hold it any longer.

"Mom, dad I can't hold it! Help me please!" James continued up one side towards his son while Lily turned to walk against the flow down the other side so Harry had a parent on each side, James pausing just long enough to tell Cedric to take the other shadows and keep Voldemort from escaping.

"We will do this as a family." Lily said as she put one hand on Harry's right shoulder and the other on his hand.

"We are both proud of you and we love you Harry." His father added as he took the same stance as Lily except on Harry's left side. "Just remember, kiddo, your mother and I are a part of you and we will always be with you!"

And with that a rush of warmth and power flowed through Harry down his arms, wand and the beam connecting him and Voldemort. Those standing around the web gasped as they saw the Potters melt into their son and Harry glowed with power. They could actually see the power rush down the beam and connect with Voldemort's wand rushing right through it and into Voldemort himself.

Voldemort screamed in pain and agony as his spirit ripped itself from his body trying to get away from the one thing he could not defend himself against, pure love. When his spirit tried to make a break for it Cedric and the others leapt on him, holding him in place as the beam charged up with love tore through him and vanquished him once and for all.

Then Voldemort's body hit the ground, his wand flew up into the air and disintegrated to dust before it even hit the ground. The shadows and the web faded away. The deatheaters all passed out from the pain of the backlash coming through their dark marks, those standing closest to them could practically taste the acrid smell of burning flesh coming from the marks.

The headmaster approached the pile of ashes that was once the most feared wizard of the time and cast a few diagnostic charms.

"Voldemort has been vanquished, once and for all!" Dumbledore exclaimed to the shocked warriors of the light, who started to celebrate as soon as their leader's words managed to percolate into their minds.

The war was over.

In all the celebrating and congratulating that was going on only one persona noticed that something was wrong as Harry suddenly dropped his wand and his eyes rolled back into his head as he dropped to the ground like a sack of flour.

"HARRY!" Ginny screamed as she ran towards the man that she loved as he passed out on the ground.


	2. The Void

Ch 3

Subduing The Reluctant

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Mrs. Weasley was sitting in the hospital wing kitting one of her famous jumpers and watching over her son and Hermione, when all of a sudden there was a rush of magical power and a great flash of light.

When the light cleared she saw Ron and Hermione slumped over, unconscious, still clasping hands in a circle with Harry. Madam Pomfrey came rushing out demanding to know what happened.

"I have no idea, one minute they're just sitting there holding hands, and then there was a flash of light and they were like that!" Molly sobbed as Pomfrey tried to check on the trio.

"I can't get near them! There is some kind of barrier here."

"I'll go get Bill, he can get through anything!" Molly replied, the motherly pride evident in her voice.

"No Molly, we will not interfere." Dumbledore said as he entered the hospital wing, "They need to finish what they have started."

"But Albus! They could be in serious trouble!"

"If I am right then young Mr. Weasley and Miss Granger have gone to get their friend." Albus stated his trademark twinkle in overdrive.

"What are you talking about, Albus? What was that?"

"The energy signature was the final binding of a friendship bond. The three of them are so close that they, at one point must have sworn to do everything in their power to protect each other and that started the bonding process. If I am right then Ronald and Hermione's desire to help Harry was so strong that it completed the bonding process."

"Why can't we get to them?" Poppy asked.

"The magic of the bond recognizes that a circle is needed for Ron and Hermione to save Harry so it is preventing anything from interfering." Was the wise headmaster's response, "All we can do now is watch over the three of them and hope that they are successful in bringing Harry back to us."

Molly looked over at the three friends, trying to choke back a sob.

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Harry continued to float. That voice had finally gone away and he was free to enjoy the bliss of nothing….. But the nothing was not absolute any more.

Something had intruded upon his sanctuary.

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Ron and Hermione suddenly found themselves in an indescribable blackness, no that's not right it was describable but by one word alone. Nothingness.

"Where are we?" Ron asked thinking 'Should I be feeling nervous or afraid?'

"I don't know, but this place gives me the willies."

"This is The Void," injected a third voice, "A 'waiting room' if you will between life and what comes after."

Ron and Hermione whirled around to see a beautiful red head with very familiar green eyes.

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Remus sat out in the waiting room with the rest of the Weasleys. Watching all of them worry about his cub. But he noticed that one of them seemed to be just as worried as he was. He Moved over and sat beside the youngest Weasley and nudged her with his shoulder. She looked up at him and he could see the tears that were ready to fall.

"Hey now, It's not that bad. We do know that he's alive and that he's healing. We just have to wait for him to wake up."

"I know Remus; it's just that he was so still when I got to him, I thought that he was dead. And I thought I lost him ... I mean I thought we had lost him."

The pink hue that crossed her cheeks as she said that caused him to grin, leaning closer to her he whispered.

"Don't worry too much about it Ginny, I have a feeling that you will get what you need and want before too much longer. We must not give up hope, Harry is strong and we must believe that he will come out of this. Kay?"

Ginny wiped her eyes and nodded at Remus.

He then gave her a hug, which she returned with enthusiasm. Hope shining in her eyes.

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"You're Harry's mum, aren't you?" Hermione asked.

That redhead before them smiled and nodded.

"I would first like to say thank you. You have no idea how much you have done for my baby over the years, or how much it means to me that he has friends like you! And Ronald, Thank your mother for me. She has been a wonderful surrogate mum to Harry.

Now that's out of the way, I don't have much time left. What I have done can be explained by your headmaster, but for now, Harry needs you he is floating in here and sees no reason to return to a life that has been full of pain and little else. If he does not snap out of it and return to the world of the living soon then he will not be able to."

"But what do we do?"

"As long as Harry is awake and unwilling to leave it will be impossible to bring him back so you must do one of two things. Either find a way to render him unconscious, or convince him to go back. All you have to do to go back is form a circle between the three of you, like this." She floated forward and made them hold hands as she took their other hands in her own. "Then focus on the real world, if even one of you does not want to go back it will not work, which is why Harry needs to either be willing or not awake."

Keeping her hands in theirs she looked at each of them. As tears showed in her eyes neither one of them doubted that she was thanking them for loving her son.

"Talk to him. Show him that he has people who love him, show him what he has to live for." Lily started to fade away at this point. "With bringing you here I have finished the task I stayed behind to do. I will now rejoin my husband, tell Harry I love him and both James and I are very proud!" With those final words Lily Potter faded away.

Ron looked over at Hermione to see silent tears running down her cheeks.

"You o.k. Mione?"

"It must have torn her apart inside to know that Harry was growing up without her. Not being there for him, not being able to hug him when he had a nightmare or see him off to Hogwarts…." Hermione was very upset.

Ron did the only thing he could think of, "Come, Mione, you heard what Mrs. Potter said. We need to find Harry, and fast!"

Mione nodded then dried her tears; they had a friend to find.

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It was weird. He wanted to be left alone, right? It was why he was here. He didn't want to go back to that pain filled place because there was nothing there for him, right?

Harry floated, unsure if this was where he wanted to be for the first time since entering the void, his sanctuary. 'What brought about this change?' he thought to himself. He knew. Someone entered his sanctuary. Someone had come to take him away from it.

He could not allow that to happen! He would attack, he would defend, he would…….the intruder……no there were two of them. They felt…….right, this isn't making any sense!

'I need to figure this out' the thought raced through his mind as he floated towards the intruders.

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Ron and Hermione floated as they came up with a plan of action, they were NOT leaving without Harry!

Ron noticed him first. As Harry approached the first thing that Ron noticed was the dead look in his eye. Ron paled as he nudged Hermione and pointed towards Harry.

"What do you want? Who are you? Why do you want to take me away?" Harry asked defensively.

"Harry, we have come to take you to where you belong," Hermione started answering Harry's questions with tears in her eyes, "We are your friends and we love you!"

"You belong with us mate," Ron added, "we're not leaving without you."

Harry looked from one to the other; they could see something warring with the dead look in his eyes. They floated closer.

"I'm not going back."

"Harry we….."

"NO! I am not going BACK!" With that Harry went to leave his two friends behind when all of a sudden he was flooded with a totally new sensation.

It was overpowering, it was terrifying, it was unbelievable, it was………wonderful. It was so much better than the void.

"What is that?"

Ron and Hermione had been able to feel a little of what Harry felt, they were in the void as well after all. They looked at each other then turned back to Harry.

"That is love, Harry. This is how someone on the outside feels about you!" Hermione replied to Harry's question, "Yes there is pain out there, but there is also love."

Harry just looked at her then screamed, "I AM NOT GOING BACK!" Suddenly he griped his head and with a whimper he passed out as a strong glow started to envelop him.

"Well that was handy." Ron stated as they both floated closer to Harry, to take him back to the people who loved him.

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Ginny sat a little apart from the rest of her family. She knew something was happening with Harry, she could feel it. They were losing him. She knew this for a fact, but they had not lost him yet.

She would not let him go without knowing how she felt.

Ginny didn't notice when she started to glow, but her father did. Arthur made to go to his daughter when Dumbledore stopped him. "This needs to happen, Arthur."

"But what is happening, Albus?"

"Your daughter has discovered inside herself a pure and true love. When a witch or wizard finds themselves in possession of such love they often do wondrous and amazing things because of it. Especially if the recipient of the aforementioned emotion is in dire straights of some kind."

The patriarch of the Weasley family looked confused for a moment, and then it hit him like a ton of bricks. (Alright where did that pile of bricks come from?) "You mean Harry, don't you?"

"Yes Arthur I do." Albus twinkled at him over his half moon spectacles and said, "Young Ginny is a remarkably strong woman, gets it from her mother I should think, if any one can help Harry it will be her."

"I couldn't agree more, Albus. I think it is the Prewett blood." Then he looked over at his daughter. The glow was increasing with each passing moment. "I hope your right, Albus. I don't want to lose either one of them."

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Ginny found herself unable to focus on anything else; she didn't want to focus on anything else. Harry was here she just knew it! She visualized a rope with one end in her hand and the other end in Harry's and focused all of her love for him into the rope.

She had no idea what she was doing, but she was not stopping. She would not lose Harry!

A.N. well another chappie! I hope my readers aren't too disappointed! (lol)

I would like to thank A cRaZy FiSh NaMeD kArU (that NAME is crazy man! Lol), Tom Riddle Charlie, Quillian and niem for reviewing. It really makes it easy to want to update as soon as possible when I know that someone is not only reading my story but enjoying it.

Now I have my first question to deal with (woo hoo!) niem, Ginny has admitted her love for Harry to no one but herself. Harry has been to busy training and too focused on fulfilling the prophesy to notice anything of that nature, but rest assured, Ginny's feelings for Harry will be an integral part of the story!


	3. Subduing the Reluctant

Ch 2

The Void

AN: I forgot to do a disclaimer on the last chapter so here goes, as much as I wish I could say different I am not the great talent known as JK Rowling. (sobs in corner)

I would like to thank TedEBear who has the dubious honor of being my very first reviewer! Thanks also to artemisfowl107, Bloodless ace and Tom Riddle Charlie, encouragement is a great motivator for getting out chapters!

*****

Albus Dumbledore stood in the middle of the battle field. His trade mark twinkle was long gone as he watched the ministry personnel take care of the bodies. As soon as the investigation was done and the report was written and filed the repairing of the school could commence.

Many of the students had asked for permission to stay over the summer and help with the repair efforts, and many of their families asked if they could come and do the same.

Getting Hogwarts back up and running wouldn't be difficult. He just wished he could say the same for the English wizarding society in general. If Harry died it would be near impossible to put it back together again.

The people in the field could see tears running down the otherwise stoic face of the headmaster.

*****

Nothingness. That is all there was. He was just floating aimlessly through the void. The only thought that entered his head was that he had finally accomplished something, he didn't know what exactly, but it was big and he knew it was the focus of his whole life so far.

"You must go back!" he heard a vaguely familiar voice say. "Please, Harry, it is not yet time for you to go there."

Harry didn't know where there was but he knew it was better than where he left. He was sure of it!

"My entire life has been about Voldemort! Every time things start to look up for me something happens to ruin it, to make me miserable again; I'm an orphan because of him. My whole life has been focused on defeating him! I no longer have a purpose in life, and if I no longer have a purpose for my life anymore, why should I go back to all that pain?" he asked.

"You may not believe me but you have much to live for."

"I don't want to go back." He whispered, "I won't go back!" He continued to drift in the empty nothingness of the void.

*****

Ginny sat just outside the hospital wing sobbing, so many people were dead, and even the ones that were still alive would never be the same.

Arthur Weasley, the beloved father of seven was in critical condition after being attacked by no less then five deatheaters at the same time. Her brother Percy got kissed by a dementor before it was driven off along with seven others. Fred and George got seriously wounded but were expected to make a full recovery. Ron and Hermione somehow managed to get through the fight with scrapes and cuts, but the D.A. was down to less then half.

Of the three groups fighting out there today (ministry, order and D.A.) the D.A. got hit the worst. Michael Corner was dead along with Lavender and Parvati who sacrificed themselves so Ron and Hermione could do their jobs of getting Harry to Voldemort. Of the DA members who had already graduated the worst injury was Fred and George, Fred lost his right ear and George lost his left. People would be pondering for years wondering how that happened, as Fred and George would never say.

So many students got hurt. They all went into the battle knowing that they stood a good chance of getting hurt or even killed but they still went willingly into battle. They willingly took the job that the headmaster had given them.

Help Harry Potter get to Voldemort.

Why did they accept this dangerous job without hesitation? Because they knew Harry. They knew his character and his determination, his loyalty and that is why they believed in him and his ability to rid the world of the evil one once and for all!

And he did, but at a price. Everyone at the battle paid, including a few first years that got caught in the crossfire because they didn't get out of the way in time.

'They died too young' Ginny thought to herself. She knew thinking like this was not good but she couldn't help it! She kept having these horrible flashbacks, scenes of the battle in her head. They kept playing over and over no matter how hard she tried to get them out. But the worst scene was definitely the one that happened at the end.

She kept seeing Harry falling, she saw herself running towards him. She had shaken him and begged whatever deity was listening for him to wake up, he was barely even breathing! Ginny was terrified.

She had realized part way through her fifth year that the reason she was over her crush on Harry was because she had fallen in love with him. She had never actually told him. She was always coming up with excuses for putting it off. 'It's not the right time' and 'he won't feel the same' were the two that cropped up the most.

But now it might be too late.

*****

Hermione sat across from Ron neither one of them was willing to leave Harry's side. They looked at each other over the still form of their best friend.

"What if he doesn't wake up?" Hermione asked.

"Don't say that! He has to wake up!" Ron replied, "He wouldn't give up on us, so we can't give up on him!"

Hermione nodded in agreement, as she looked down at Harry, tears forming in her eyes and sliding down her cheeks. "Harry! Please wake up!"

*****

"Harry! Please, wake up!"

He heard another voice come out of the darkness, "I don't want to go back." Harry whispered to himself.

"You must! You are still needed out there." came that annoyingly familiar voice again. For the life of him, Harry just couldn't figure out where he had heard that voice before, but he did know it from somewhere. "You heard that voice; it is someone who wants you back!"

"Needed for what? To be a weapon and a symbol? They don't want Harry they just want the boy-who-lived!"

"That is not true and you know it!" the voice replied. "Just listen to the voices of the people who love you. They are calling for you to come back!"

"I won't go back, and you can't make me!" Harry screamed at the disembodied voice and went back to floating in the ever present and soothing void.

*****

Ron Weasley sat by the bed looking at the still form of his best friend. Throughout all of their adventures Harry had always pulled through, he had always triumphed, and Ron refused to believe that this time would be any different and he would be there when Harry woke up. Harry would do the same for him if there roles were reversed, that was the kind of guy he was.

Ron looked up at his other best friend, the girl he was falling in love with. Hermione had cried herself to sleep after yelling at Harry to wake up and was now lying with her head pillowed on her arms with one of Harry's hands in her own. They would help him. They would make Harry wake up and then they would help him recover. "I am not giving up on you mate."

*****

"I'm not giving up on you mate."

"Ron…." Harry paused in his floating, (a.n. brownie points to whoever can tell me how one could pause in their floating lol!) as the face of the young man who had always been there for him when the chips were down flashed through his mind. He curled up as tightly as he could into a ball, "I'm sorry, Ron. I just can't do it!"

*****

The rest of the Weasleys were not only worried about there unofficially adopted son but also for there youngest son. He always ate enough to feed a small army, even when he was sick, and now they practically had to force feed him.

Not that the rest of them were any better off. Harry was so much a part of their family and lives that the very thought of losing him was tearing them all apart inside. He just had to be ok!

*****

The final battle against Voldemort had been won, but up in Dumbledore's office there was a new battle raging.

"Albus, the boy is in a coma and St. Mungo's has an entire staff trained to deal with things like this! He must be moved!"

"Cornelius, I understand that you want what is best for Harry that is why I am keeping him here where he will have his friends nearby. He will need his friends if he is to get through this."

Minerva and the other three heads of house just sat in their chairs looking back and forth, as if they were watching a tennis match.

"That is ridiculous, they can visit him at St Mungo's he must….."

"Don't think I don't know what you are really doing Minister."

"What do you mean, Albus?"

"You just want Harry at St Mungo's because it will be easier for you to take control of him and use him the anchor your dieing political career."

"Is that true Minister?" Rita asked as she waltzed into the office in time to hear the headmaster's accusation. "Are you more concerned for any potential political gain on your part than the wellbeing of the Boy-Who-Lived-To-conquer?"

Snape snorted at this 'Just what the brat needs, more hyphens! He will be unbearable after this."

Seeing that he was fighting a loosing battle the Minister of Magic for not much longer, left the room stuttering excuses to Rita along the way.

"Are you sure it wouldn't be better for Harry to go to St. Mungo's, Albus?" Minerva asked, the concern for her favorite lion shining in her eyes while Filius nodded agreement with her question.

"If he were to go to hospital it would be harder to protect him from those who would seek to manipulate him for their own gain. He needs to stay here."

The four heads exchanged looks then Pomona spoke up.

"We have trusted you thus far and see no reason not to continue to do so. We will support your decision Albus."

******

"I will do everything in my power to make you see the light Harry James Potter!" the voice vowed. "The bond must be fully activated, but how to do it? It must be done delicately so as not to arouse suspicion."

Suddenly the form of Lily Potter came into being. "I did not sacrifice myself so that my son could be taken by depression!" She raised her hands and her entire being glowed. "And I know just how to do it!"

"What little power in the world of the living I have left guide them so that they can use their bond of friendship to help my son!" she then looked at her son one last time, "I love you Harry, never forget that."

*****

Ron continued to look at Hermione thinking about how beautiful she was.

The desire to touch her suddenly overwhelmed him. It just grew and grew until he just couldn't resist. He reached out and smoothed her hair, it wasn't enough. She started to wake up and Ron kept his hand on her. He just had to keep touching her! It was vitally important but he didn't know why.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"I just couldn't resist touching you." Ron looked down at Harry as Hermione took his hand with one of hers and Harry's with the other. "I'm just so afraid that we're going to loose him Hermione." He said with tears in his eyes.

Hermione squeezed Ron's hand as Ron reached down to take Harry's other hand. The moment the circle was completed the three of them started to glow as power flew in between the friends completing the connection they had unwittingly started and pulling Ron and Hermione into the void.

A.N. next chapter will be Ron and Hermione confronting Harry. There will also be a little more of the outside world and we will be checking in on other people.

If there is anyone in particular that you want me to 'check up on' or any thoughts on what should befall who let me know.

And if you are reading this then thank you so much for taking the time to read my fic! The only way I could be more thankful is if you review, especially if you see a place where I could improve the story.


	4. Waking Up

CH 4

WARNING: some minor swearing in this chapter, there most likely will be no more swearing in this fic so I will not change the rating but if I do end up putting in some more (not counting bloody hell) I will give another warning at the beginning of the appropriate chapter.

An. I love my reviewers! Yes I've read HBP this will not be taking that book into consideration I may take a few ideas from the book, but for the most part Aftermath will be AU

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Molly watched the three friends closely. When Hermione and Ron collapsed Molly had refused to leave the room. A tear was sliding down her face, when suddenly there was another flash of light and Ron and Hermione woke up.

"We made it!" Hermione exclaimed.

"But what about Harry?" Ron looked down at his friend, no his brother. He would not celebrate until he knew whether or not Harry would be ok.

Molly rushed to her son and squeezed him for all she was worth, and then did the same to Hermione. All three look at Harry when he started screaming.

"I don't want to be here! Send me back!"

He just kept going on and on like that, his language getting more and more scandalous and colourful as he went. He was thrashing about making it impossible for anyone to get near him without getting hit by a flailing arm.

His yelling brought Poppy running, she had been talking to Albus in her office and he came running with her.

They both shot calming spells at him but they didn't seem to work so Poppy grabbed some dreamless sleep and forced it down his throat while the men in the room held him down. After Harry had fallen asleep Poppy turned to Dumbledore. "He should be calmer when he wakes up."

Albus just nodded, never taking his eyes off of Harry. It looked like he was going to cry. "There are so many things I could have and should have done differently. I could have made this so much easier for him to take but I let my pride blind me. I though I was doing what needed to be done! I thought I was doing what was best for him." the tears were starting to flow.

"I should have let him grow up here at Hogwarts, I should have kept a closer watch on the Dursleys. I could have….."

"Albus," Molly approached, "Playing the coulda, shoulda, wouldas isn't going to help anyone. Right now we need to focus on Harry and help him through this."

Albus took a calming breath "You are right, of course, Molly. We will help him through this, we owe it to him."

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They took him from his sanctuary, when he didn't want to go, they took him from his lovely void. He screamed at them, they said that they cared; they said it was for his own good. He wanted back in the void. There he was, not happy, but not sad either. He felt nothing, nothing was good.

If you felt nothing, you couldn't feel pain.

They tried to knock him out with those little wood sticks, he just wanted back in the void.

So he tried.

He tried. Again and again, he tried, but it was no use. He could not get back to his sanctuary. Damn them. They took it away from him. Damn him, for needing that place of nothingness in the first place.

Dark thoughts where prevalent in Harry Potter's mind as he woke up. He hated Voldemort, for ruining his life. He hated the death munchers, for following him. He hated the wizarding world for needing to be saved. But most of all he hated himself, not only for giving in to the boy-who-lived persona, but for not dieing when he had the chance.

'I just want it all to go away' was his last thought before drifting back into the world of dreams.

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It was three days later when Harry finally woke up to see Ron sitting next to his bed watching him. "Oi, mate! Bout time you woke up!" He exclaimed with a grin.

Harry just stared at him then sat up in bed. He looked around the hospital wing, empty except for the two of them.

"You've been out for several days; Madam Pomfrey said that you'd be hungry when you woke up."

Harry just looked at him, then shrugged. He didn't know why this redhead was talking to him or why he wanted anything to do with him. "Do I know you?" Harry asked. "And who is this Madam Pomfrey?"

Ron just stared at him in shock. "You don't remember me?"

"Should I?"

"We've been best mates since we were eleven!"

"Sorry, no." Harry replied apologetically.

"What about your name? Do you remember your name?"

"No. I don't know why but I know for a fact that I don't want to remember anything." Harry couldn't understand why this stranger was so upset by that. "It's alright really, I'm probably better off not remembering."

Harry lay back down as Ron just sat there in shock. Harry didn't remember anything! What was he going to do? "Well your name is Harry, mine is Ron. Hey Harry, you remember anything at all?"

"Yeah."

"What do you remember?"

"My sanctuary."

"That void place?"

"Yes, I want to go back there."

"Why? Why do you want to go back there? You belong here with us."

"I didn't feel any pain there, please let me go back." Harry whispered, tears welling up in his eyes. He rolled over and curled up into a trembling ball.

AftermathaftermathaftermathAftermathaftermathaftermath

Albus sat at his desk, his twinkle long gone and not likely to return anytime soon. "Mr. Weasley, from what you have told me it is my guess that Mr. Potter is suffering from magical amnesia. Poppy is checking this hypothesis out as we speak. It is similar to what the muggles get, but is controlled by a person's magic."

"What do you mean by that sir?" Molly asked, "I've never even heard of it."

The Weasleys and Hermione were all in the headmaster's office conferring over what had transpired between Ron and Harry. Albus did not look happy about this.

"Muggles will sometimes lose their memory if something traumatic enough happens to them, when that happens to a wizard it is a little easier to recover from as their personal magic made it happen and will slowly reverse it."

Dumbledore sat in thought for a moment. "You said that Harry mentioned a void?" Ron nodded, "And you and Miss Granger saw this void?" Two simultaneous nods, "Well, I won't know for sure until Poppy gets back to me but I would think that this void is Harry's memory. His magic sensed that the trauma that Harry has been through was too much for his mind to handle all at once, so it blocked of any part of his life that was unhappy or traumatic in some way."

"Which is pretty much his entire life!" Ginny sobbed out, she wanted to help but didn't know how. "What can we do Professor?"

"First thing we do is introduce one person to him, someone he already knows so that he will have help." Poppy answered as she walked through the door, having heard Ginny's question.

"So it is magical amnesia then."

"Yes, Albus, Mr. Potter didn't seem very open to Mr. Weasley and in cases like this it is always best to use someone who already knows the patient. In Mr. Potter's case, it would be best to use Miss Weasley. I've thought about it all the way up to your office Albus and I am convinced that she will give Mr. Potter the highest chances for a full recovery."

"Wait a minute, you still haven't told us how Harry will get better!" A weeping Hermione interjected. "And why is it Ginny instead of Ron and myself! We're his best friends!"

"Exactly, Miss Granger, you and Mr. Weasley will try to push him into being the Harry that you remember. That Harry is gone forever, he will never come back." Poppy paused as she saw the devastating effect of her words on the pair. "I know the two of you love him and want what is best for him that is why things must be this way. Miss Weasley will be able to give him the help and support he needs while at the same time giving him the space he needs to figure out who he is."

Albus looked at Ginny over his half moon spectacles, "I am afraid that Harry has never really had a chance to figure out who his is. He was a freak to his relatives and the boy-who-lived to us. He needs to decide who he is as a person and where he is to go from here." Albus leaned forward, "He will need your help."

Ginny just sat there looking intimidated. How on earth was she supposed to do this? She was Ginny, just Ginny, nothing special. She looked over at her mother who was looking at her, a mother's love and pride evident in her eyes. Love, it destroyed Voldemort didn't it? It could bring Harry back to them; no it will bring Harry back to them.

"I'll do what ever it takes to help Harry through this." Ginny said her voice thick with determination. "I just don't know how."

"Love him Ginny," Arthur spoke up for the first time that night. "Prewett women have a very strong brand of love that can revitalize a man in many different ways, and you are your mother's daughter! I have faith in you, my beloved daughter." He looked over at his wife during the last bit and took her hand, brought it up to his lips and kissed it. The adoring look on their faces was enough to make their offspring gag.

"We'll help Ginny." Ron promised.

"We'll all help." Swore Mr. and Mrs. Weasley together. Then everyone in the room raised their wands and swore a wizard's oath that they would not rest until Harry was better.


	5. apology

I am so sorry about how long it has been since I updated, I have reposted the first 4 chapters and hope to have 5 out soon. I cannot thank you enough for your patience, and to Silver-Creasent-MOON1995 I do have to apologize for changing it from Molly to Arthur who gets hit by a ton of bricks but whaile going through the chapters the next one says that Molly would not leave the hospital wing so how could she be in the waiting room? But thank you so much for the review, it motivated me to get off of my proverbial butt and start working on this story again, I was rather shocked to notice that it had been three years since I posted my last apology, I will try to do better 


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